Heiress to the Throne of Cyclonia
by Lace Agate
Summary: Sequel to MC's Revenge. Rin caught wind of the plan to kill her daughter, Tessa. She tried to flee with her, but ended up being slain by her brother, DA, so her daughter has to make a journey alone, one to find her father.
1. Chapter 1

Hello peoples. Thanks to anyone who are going to read this!! I also want to thank Green Peridot, my cousin, for editing and stuff!

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Assassination Plot

Rin was sitting on a chair in the empress' personal quarters watching Lark closely. After ten years they had gotten closer, but she still didn't trust her. A nine-year-old girl with dark black hair and bright cobalt eyes was drawing in a sketchbook. Her daughter looked up at her and smiled.

"I have splendid plans for Tessa," Lark said. "For the past five years we have been training her and teaching her to control her powers, and I have come to believe that she will be a great successor."

Rin nodded suspicious. "Yes, but I'm not sure it's a good idea," she replied. Tessa glanced at them curiously. "She is much more powerful then me, but she is still my child."

"I understand completely," her sister answered. "I know you are highly suspicious of me. And I know I deserve it, after all I have done to you- and will do to you yet. Don't worry, your daughter is in good hands."

Rin frowned. The suspicious feeling became more intense. "Does that mean I will be eliminated if I do not cooperate?" Rin inquired.

Lark's violet eyes landed on Tessa and then looked back at her. "Precisely," Lark smirked. Rin shook her head. Why did her sister always do that? She was so manipulating and used threats to get her way. That was the motto of the Master Cyclonis'- they always get what they want.

But yet, the Master had been kind to her. She was no longer rotting in the dungeons, even though she had rebelled and more or less joined the Storm Hawks. And became forever linked to a certain member of their squad. Her pink eyes looked at Master Cyclonis. How much did her sister know? If she knew about Finn, and yet was still treating her somewhat decently, perhaps she could risk going along with her plans. For now.

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "But I want to be with her at all times."

"That is understood," Lark stated. "After all you are her mother." Tessa, oblivious to the seriousness of the conversation, got up and went to the chair where Rin sat.

"Does that mean I can spend more time with you Mum?" she questioned. Her blue eyes sparked with hopefulness. When Rin nodded she squealed happily. Rin then looked up at the clock. She frowned; it was way past Tessa's bedtime.

She got up. "Come on, Tessa it's bedtime," she said and held out her hand. Her daughter grabbed a hold of it and looked back at Lark.

"Good night Auntie Lark," she said yawning. She giggled; drunk with overtiredness.

"We will discuss this tomorrow then?" Lark asked expressing the necessity of extending the conversation. Rin nodded and then led the sleepy Tessa to their personal quarters of the castle.

When there she dressed her daughter in her pajamas and tucked her in bed. "Good night Mum," Tessa said and drifted off to sleep. She stood there for a moment looking at her beautiful child. Even though she was just nine she understood things that should be way over her head. According to her, her child was a genius. She did well in all the lessons and did excellent in training. She could even fly a switchblade elite properly. Every time she went up into the sky she would be happy.

Tessa inherited Rin's abilities and more. She could morph into any animal and heal outstandingly, but she had two more. She could morph into any human she'd touched for a short time, and could talk to animals. Rin thought this was extraordinary. And unfortunately, Lark found these good qualities for the next ruler of Cyclonia. Rin had to remind herself at least Lark wasn't going to kill her child.

She sighed and then went for her evening walk through the hallways. Rin took in the paintings around her. One was of her family. There was her father frowning and her mother with a sad glint in her eye. Orin (Dark Ace) was pulling on Lark's braided hair and herself was placed on her mother's lap smiling. She sighed. They weren't quite the normal family where the kids were supposed to get along and the parents happy. That never happened. She moved on. That picture always reminded her of her unhappy childhood.

Rin grinned at the next painting. She was laughing and her sister was making silly faces. When she was little and not the successor to the throne Lark was always friendly. She frowned. But when Lark found out that she would have the throne instead of her, Lark loathed her and found every possible way to discredit her. The newest painting was of the current royal family. Lark sat on her throne, Orin stood behind her glaring at the man painting, and she was sitting on a wooden chair besides Lark with a blue-eyed seven-year-old on her lap. Those blue eyes sparked an ache in her chest.

She passed a door and stopped dead in her tracks. She went up to the door and put her head up against it allowing her ears a better angle. Rin frowned. She creaked open the door slightly and peeked in. Her brother was sitting on a chair and the pink haired woman named Ravess lounged on a plush black sofa. She wondered what they were talking about so she stayed.

"You are going soft Dark Ace," Ravess taunted. "Especially with that child. What is wrong with you?"

Orin frowned. "I am not going soft Ravess," he retorted. "Watch yourself."

"All I am saying is that you need to do something," she returned. "Otherwise, all the Talons will think you are going soft. No respect will be given to you anymore. You deserve more."

Her brother stood up abruptly and glowered at the woman. "I am still the person next in line for the throne," he smirked at Ravess. She only smiled back. Rin guessed she knew something her brother did not. "You need to respect the future emperor of this kingdom."

Rin gagged. Her brother… the next emperor? Lark would never allow that. Apparently Orin did not know that. Ravess laughed. "You are so ignorant," she sneered. "Master Cyclonis would never allow you, a mindless brute, to rule Cyclonia."

Orin grabbed Ravess by the neck. For some reason fear entered into Rin's bloodstream. Why was she afraid for Ravess? She was the one provoking him. "How dare you disrespect a senior commander!" he growled his face inches from hers.

"I- I-" Ravess tried to gasp out a few words for Orin was making her lose her supply of oxygen. His eyes unclouded and he undid his iron grip on her neck. Ravess coughed and sucked in the needed oxygen. She glared at him.

"What is the meaning of me being ignorant?" he demanded. Rin watched Ravess' movement closely. The older woman only grinned.

"Did you not hear the news?" she asked innocently. "Master Cyclonis redid the lineage. Rin's daughter is now the successor to the throne." There was a pause to emphasize the next sentence. "And if she **accidentally** dies you will be next in line to the throne again."

Orin pondered on the idea. A feeling of dread overcame Rin, but she couldn't move, she was planted to the spot. She had to know what her brother was going to do. He started to pace around the room and Ravess sat up watching him. He stopped and spun around. Anger shown in his blood red eyes.

"That brat has to die," he spat out. "It's a mixed breed. It's not even a true Cyclonain."

Rage boiled inside Rin's body when her brother spoke of her precious jewel like that. He had no right to insult her baby. Her daughter was a gift, a true blessing. She wanted to slap him, put him in his place. But another thought came to mind. She had to protect her baby. Tessa was the only thing she could have of Finn. She had his optimistic attitude, his beautiful bright blue eyes, and his charming smile.

"When do you plan to carry this out?" Ravess questioned carefully. He was in such a foul mood that he could lash out at her. Rin noticed that if Ravess pushed her luck too far then she would be a dead woman. "What do you want me to do?"

"Stay out of it," he answered. "I vow that, no matter what, that half-breed is going to die." Rin's eyes widened in fear for her daughter's life. She was only an innocent nine-year-old girl who hasn't lived her life for very long. How could he talk like that? She was his niece after all.

"You will now get the respect you should have," Ravess assured Rin's brother. The woman grinned and ran a hand through her pink hair. Rin had a feeling that Ravess was aggravating him to do her will. The older woman had always been jealous of Rin's unexpected position with Master Cyclonis.

Orin walked over to the door. Rin broke out of her trance and dashed down the hallway. She heard his footsteps coming closer and she picked up her speed. Rin burst through the big oak doors that were the entrance to her quarters and she hurriedly closed them. She strained her muscles for the doors were heavy. Once closed she slid to the floor and hugged her knees close to her chest. This reminded her of the time she found out she was pregnant with Tessa.

She felt her brother trying to push open the doors. She cried out when his red activated blade pierced through the wooden door. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she noticed that Tessa was standing by her bedroom doorway with wide blue eyes.

"What's going on Mum?" she said with a small shaky voice. "Who's at the door?" Rin's heart melted. Her daughter was so innocent. How could her brother wish to murder her?

"Go get dressed, honey," she gently ordered. She yelped when the blade come through the wood again inches from her head. Tessa was still standing there. "Now!"

The shout caused Tessa to flinch and she ran into her room. Rin hadn't meant to yell at her. She morphed into an ox and tried desperately to keep the doors from giving way and opening. She had to get her daughter out.

Her daughter returned one minute later in jeans, a shirt, and a jacket. She sighed. At least she had some sense in dressing herself for travel. She morphed back into herself and she felt the door bulge. She readied herself and dashed towards her daughter leading her to the balcony. The doors opened sending splinters flying through the air and revealed a crazed Talon Commander. She transformed into a big bird and in her talons she was carrying her shivering daughter. She couldn't do this all the way to the next terra, so she had to go to the hanger. A shuttle or a switchblade elite might work.

Once they were close to the metal floor of the hanger she dropped Tessa and she morphed back into her human form landing roughly on the ground. Her head hit the floor causing her to momentarily black out, but she willed herself to stay awake for her daughter's sake. She struggled to her feet feeling dizzy and walked over to her daughter.

She grabbed her daughter's arm and pushed her into the metal cockpit of one of the shuttles. Orin's blade lodged into the metal frame of the shuttle. Her heart skipped a beat and she turned around. She came face to face with her brother. Rin backed up a little and then pushed down hard on the doors locking system. That meant she would no longer be able to get back in.

Rin morphed into a wolf protecting her daughter's shuttle. She would not allow her brother to end her daughter's precious life. She growled and then lashed out at him. He kicked her in the side and then got his blade out of the side of the shuttle. Since she hadn't been practicing much, her morphing powers shut off returning her to her original form. Rin blocked Orin's way.

"Move!" he ordered. His eyes were filled with sparks of hatred and the red seemed to be a more deeper blood color. He pointed his blade at her stomach. "Move now!"

She shook her head and kicked at him. She missed her target, but hit him in the side. Rin turned around. She had to say goodbye to her daughter. "Tessa," she said. "You must find your father. He's of the Storm Hawks, his name is-" She gasped and held her hand to the glass. She felt her life leaving her and she fell to her knees. Her brother's blade protruded from her chest. "I- I-" She wanted to say that she loved her daughter, but she was too weak. She collapsed onto the ground and her pink eyes clouded.

* * *

Tessa stared at the corpse of her mother. "Mum," she whispered. _No, she isn't dead,_ she thought._ Mum isn't dead; she's just knocked out._ Denial filled her mind. Tears poured down her cheeks and she backed slowly away. _If I can't see her then she must be alive somewhere else_, she reasoned. All of a sudden a glowing blade shot through the glass barely missing her head. She yelped and staggered backwards.

She could see her uncle's angered face in the window. "Get out!" he shouted. She backed further away from the uncle she had once loved. She glanced down at the blade that had killed her mother and cried out in misery. Tessa hurriedly sat on the pilot seat and studied the controls. She remembered learning about shuttles and their inner components. She pushed a button and the engine sputtered to life. She heard her uncle utter a frustrated growl.

Ignoring the insane babbling of her uncle she pushed the button for autopilot and the shuttle took off into the red sky. She was leaving Cyclonia for the rest of her life. She would never ever come back. Not after what her uncle had done. Again tears began to spill and she wiped the tears defiantly away. _Storm Hawks… who were they?_ She thought. _Mum had said something about Father. Was he one of them? Mum told me to find him, so I must._

* * *

Finn was standing in the corner of the bridge and glanced around at his teammates. Aerrow and Piper were leaning over a map discussing where they were and what course to set. Silver and Junko were eating some strange squid thing, grinning at each other. Finn felt sick to his stomach. Tamar was sitting in the middle of the bridge playing blocks with two six-year-old twins. His heart did something funny and he brushed it off. There was no way he would ever see Rin again. It was nearly ten years since he'd last seen her, and there hadn't been a single word from her.

Stork was solemnly standing at the controls watching for mountain peaks or suspicious looking ships. He watched Stork's ears as they were continuously back and he had earplugs in them. Finn rolled his eyes; Tyler and Kara weren't making any noise. Tyler had black hair with blue highlights and orange eyes like his mother and Kara had red hair and green eyes like her father. He sighed. Master Cyclonis took her revenge to the extreme. There was no telling what she'd done to Rin.

Tamar got up and went over to him. "I'm sure she's okay," she tried to comfort him. "I don't think Cyclonis would murder a member of the same blood."

Finn nodded. The _Condor_ lurched to the side. "Stork!" Piper scolded. She was comforting a crying Kara.

"What?!" Stork shouted. He still had his earplugs in. Junko took the duty of removing them and threw them in the trash. Stork glowered.

"Would you warn us the next time you avoid a mountain peak?" Piper said. Aerrow chuckled and took the crying child away from Piper as she went into 'mother mode.' "The next time you make my girl cry." She made a fist and shook it at him.

"Alright!" Stork said. "I will, but I'll warn you that when I take the time to warn you about turns we'll be flat against a peak. That would be our doom."

Finn smiled. He should feel lucky right now. He had a family right here and it was an entertaining one at that. Then sadness entered into his heart again. What happened to Rin? Where was his baby? Finn frowned. Will he ever see her again? Will he ever get the chance to see his baby for the first time?

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Here is the first chapter to the sequel. I hoped you peoples liked it. Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry peoples for not updating for like a month. I tried to update sooner, but there were lots of things I had to do and like I had writer's block. Well, I would like to thank all who read and reviewed my last chapter. (Since the time Tessa escaped from Cyclonia its been about three days). Now onto chapter 2:

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Alone: Day Three and A Letter

She growled; frustrated. Why had she run out of fuel? She thought that the tank was completely full of engine crystals. Did she miscalculate the distance the flying machine could go? And unfortunately, the shuttle lay dead on some kind of terra that was unknown to her. Observing her surroundings from behind the glass pane she concluded that it was a desert type terra. She bunched up her tanned fist and slammed down on the button that opened the door. She had to find a way to get off this miserable barren place she was deserted on.

Moving towards the open doors to the outside world she stepped on something. She looked down and gasped lifting her foot off the object like it had burned her. Gathering up courage she carefully picked up the long double bladed sword that had belonged to her uncle. She winced at the sight of her mother's dried blood and stopped herself from dropping the weapon.

She glanced around the contraption and found a belt she could use to sheath the blade in. Tessa knew that this would come in handy, so she kept it even though she felt like throwing it off the terra's edge where it could fall to the wastelands to be destroyed. Sighing she fastened the belt to her and slid the blade into its sheath.

Tessa walked out of the shuttle onto sand; sand was everywhere. _What should I call this terra? 'Vast land of nothingness?'_ She thought amused. She tilted her head up and peered out into the blue sky, it wasn't red like Cyclonia's sky. She found this fascinating. She glanced back at the shuttle and then walked forward never to set eyes upon it again.

* * *

Aerrow was leaning against the metal wall of the hanger watching Finn rummage through a couple boxes of spare parts. Lately the blond sharpshooter had transformed into his depressed mood again and it was wearing on everyone. _If only there was a way to cheer him up,_ Aerrow thought sadly. _Rin…_ He grumbled at the thought and then his eyes wandering to an approaching figure.

He smiled when he saw who it was. Tyler was waddling up to him with a sour face. Aerrow kneeled down on one of his knees to look his son in the eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Kara dyed my hair," he whined and pulled off the cap he was wearing. Aerrow choked on a laugh and ruffled the child's new pink hair.

"Piper!" Aerrow called. Finn looked up and saw the upset Tyler wiping tears from his cheeks. Aerrow watched Finn's blue eyes lock onto the pink hair of his son's normal black hair with blue highlights and the blond burst into hysterical laughter. Aerrow shook his head, his eyes gleaming with mischief. This was the first time the sharpshooter had laughed whole-heartedly.

Tyler glowered at the blond. Aerrow watched the six-year-old run over to Finn and the sharpshooter with the boy onto of him tripped over a box. Tyler had tackled him. Aerrow chuckled and heard Piper walk in.

"What is all this yelling and screaming?" she asked with her arms crossed. Junko was right behind her, just as curious. Finn tilted his head up from his current position and grinned sheepishly. The crystal specialist gawked at the scene before her and she spotted her distressed son. Unable to control herself, Piper shrieked at the sight of her son's pink hair. She ran up to Tyler. "What on Atmos has happened to you?"

"Kara dyed my hair," he stated sourly. Aerrow smiled. Piper frowned, but Aerrow could tell that she wasn't completely angry. She got up and grabbed the hand of the victim of Kara's devilish schemes. She led him away shouting Kara's name. Aerrow shook his head and then pushed himself away from the wall. Aerrow held out his hand to the fallen Finn and he happily took the help and stood up.

"Jeez," Finn exclaimed. "Why in the world did he tackle me?" Aerrow shrugged. "Well, I am going to go to my room."

He watched Finn walk towards the sleeping quarters and then he directed his attention to what he had to do. He strode over to the hanger and began to work on his skimmer.

* * *

Tessa groaned; her feet felt as heavy as lead. She struggled to keep her eyes from closing and her body collapsing. Her throat burned from the intense dryness and lack of water. Building up all the strength she had she continued on through the vastness of sand and sun. Holding onto her uncle's sword handle she felt a calmness that she couldn't even understand. This blade had penetrated her mother and was her hated uncle's favorite weapon. She frowned.

She dazedly marched forward and one of her feet caught on something protruding from the sandy floor. She cried out as she tumbled forward and continued to roll down a steep hill. Once the rolling stopped she moaned and spat out any sand particles that had gathered in her mouth. Grumpily Tessa struggled to get up and then brushed off her legs that were coated with sand.

A thought came to her. _Maybe I could turn into an animal,_ she thought. _It might help me get through this sand. A camel? Or something else?_

She made up her mind and morphed into an armadillo. She curled up into a ball and rolled down a hill. When she got to the bottom she uncurled and began to stumble forward on her four awkward paws. She put her nose to the ground and tried to sniff out any scent of a human. Tessa needed to find her way to a town or even a small hovel if possible. Being tired of being an off balance armadillo she turned herself into a Fennec, which is a long eared desert fox.

She scurried away towards a small oasis, but she reminded herself that it was possibly a mirage. Panting she made it there and went to the edge of the water. Tessa stuck her muzzle close to the water and lapped it up with her pink tongue. Quietly she drank the water and at the same time watched her surroundings carefully. Unfortunately she wasn't careful enough. Behind her someone approached her silently, stalking her. Then all of a sudden a bag snatched her up and she yelped while snarling. This wasn't what she had in mind. And darkness engulfed her.

* * *

Finn was on his way over to his room when an envelope on the floor caught his attention._ Who dropped this?_ He wondered and kneeled to pick it up. He saw that it was addressed to him. _Strange…_

Without opening it he made it to his room and sat down on the unmade bed. He stared at the white envelope in his hands. Did he really want to open this? He had found it on the floor discarded. Was Piper trying to throw it away before he had spotted it? Ignoring all the possibilities he opened the suspicious envelope. Finn pulled out the piece of paper folded in threes and unfolded it. It was addressed to him.

_Master Cyclonis to the blond idiot of the Storm Hawks:_

_I will waste no words. I write to you under extreme circumstances, as I never would have lowered myself so otherwise. Rin is dead by Dark Ace's hand three days prior to your reading these words. The reasons do not concern you; all that you need to worry about is finding your daughter. I cannot hunt the Dark Ace, guard myself from further betrayal, and still search for Tessa. _

_Why she is important to me is none of your concern, but I can tell you that if you restore her to me I will make it worth your while. You may choose to involve others if you wish in your quest for Tessa, but I will guarantee no one's safety other than yours and your daughter's. One order I have for you: leave Dark Ace to me. If you interfere with my revenge on him, I will kidnap those two brats of Aerrow's and kill them. Perhaps if you bring Tessa back to me unscathed, I will forget the debt of honor Aerrow owes me. _

_Tessa left Cyclonia in a shuttle, heading southwest when she was spotted. She is nine years old (as I'm sure you are aware), around four feet seven inches tall, has black hair, and blue eyes. But as she has her mother's abilities, this may not help you much. _

_Happy hunting, Storm Hawk, and do not forget my warnings._

Finn sat there with his mouth open and the letter dangled between his fingers. This letter was the center point of where his confusion and utter horror came from. It informed him that Rin was dead, he really did have a kid and she was a girl and that Master Cyclonis wasn't going to outright kill him.

Right now this letter confused him. He placed the letter on the side table by his bed and laid down. Pondering on his thoughts he closed his eyes and welcomed the wonderful darkness. During this moment he wished that no one would disturb him. Unfortunately, he heard a knock. Grumpily he went to the door and opened it slightly. He came face to face with his sister, Tamar. Unlucky for him, she could tell if you were in a dangerous mood or plain upset.

"Yes?" he asked moodily.

"Mr. Grumpy Gills as usual, Finn?" she asked sarcastically. Finn sighed and backed away from the door allowing her access to his room. She sat down on the bed and he took the swivel chair by his desk. Then he remembered the letter and dashed over to it. She saw his movements and grabbed the letter before he reached it. He sulked at her.

She eyed it for a moment and her eyes went wide when she saw the person who had wrote it. "What in the world is this?" she asked slightly suspicious.

"Read it if you like," he sighed, defeated.

* * *

Darkness surrounded her and she felt like she was going to suffocate. And the rough tossing and ramming into this was not at all pleasant. She hissed and snarled all the time she was inside the sack she was held in. Then all of a sudden she was dropped onto a hard surface. Breath was sucked out of her and she gasped making an odd sound.

She wiggled her way out of the sack and moped when she saw the big iron bars all around her. Tessa felt a chill down her spine and her hackles raised when she felt the presence come even closer. Then an ugly face entered her line of vision. It was grinning unpleasantly. She shrunk back against the bars that were the farthest away from the creepy face.

"You'll make a good price on the black market little Fennec," he smiled. She growled making her fangs show. "Pearly whites too, man, I hit the jackpot."

_And you need to get a life,_ she barked. She knew he couldn't understand her, but she was on edge and completely defenseless- for the time being. Master Cyclonis' deft training was kicking in, and Tessa settled down to wait until her opportunity came.

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Well, what do ya think? Please review. The review button is calling out to you and begging you to click it! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks.

Here is an update- sorry for not updating sooner. Writer's block sucks. I want to thank all of the people who read and reviewed. Also, I want to thank Green Peridot for editing and stuff! Please enjoy chapter three:

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Discussions and Escape

Finn watched Tamar's expression turn from suspicious to horrified. She slowly placed the letter on the small side table next to his bed. Once she had taken the letter and began to read he had returned to the swivel chair. He sighed. This was way over his head. The simple fact that Master Cyclonis had written to him was mind blowing, but the news was depressing. All these years he had dreamed of seeing Rin again and holding her in his arms, but now he couldn't. But then he thought of the news that he did learn that was exciting. He had a daughter.

"We have to tell the others," Tamar decided and stood up to go to the door. He launched out of his chair and grabbed her by the arm before she managed to reach the door.

"No, we can't," Finn pleaded. "She wrote that she wouldn't guarantee your guys' safety. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to one of us and it was my fault."

Tamar frowned. "They would not appreciate the fact that you kept this information away from them," she reasoned. "It would be good to have more than you looking for her."

He muttered a profanity under his breath. "What will they think?" he asked. "I mean, I got a personal letter from the ruler of Cyclonia!"

"Aerrow would not forgive you," his sister growled. "Neither would the other Storm Hawks. Must I remind you that they are your friends?"

He narrowed his blue eyes at her. "You do not need to remind me," he hissed. At times she got on his nerves, but he reluctantly had to agree with her. If he didn't tell the others they would never forgive him. "But still, what happens after they find out about this?" He was still slightly worried about their reactions.

"Aerrow and Piper deserve to know," his sister said. "Aerrow's children were threatened and if you didn't tell him-" she paused to catch her breath. "He would explode. Then there is the matter of your daughter. She is all alone out there and we are having this discussion." She glared at him.

"Fine," he replied. He let go of her arm and then took to strides over to where the letter lay unfolded and slightly wrinkled. He grabbed the piece of paper and then exited his room. He found Tamar waiting impatiently outside his door. She grabbed onto his wrist and then dragged him along to the _Condor's_ bridge.

* * *

Tessa glared at the bulky man who sat inches away from her thick barred cage. With all her might she restrained herself from formulating plans that consisted of beating the crap out of the man before her. She had to focus on a plan to escape. The man was always there, so she had no time to turn into a mouse and seek out. And she imagined the possibility of him finding out her ability. She shuddered. 

Her long Fennec ears were flat against her head and her teeth were bared. This place sent shivers up and down her spine and the presence of evil unsettled her. Being nine years old she was relatively wiser for her age, but she felt like breaking down. She didn't feel like holding back the flood anymore, she didn't feel like putting on a brave face, and she definitely didn't feel like being older than her years.

Desperately she wanted her mother. She wanted the warmth of her mother's tight embrace, she wanted to hear the angelic voice that soothed her when she was scared, and she wanted to see her mother's beautiful smile once more. And then a disturbing flash of memory shot through her brain.

_She watched her mother's face twist in pain and through the glass she heard her mother gasp. All she could do was watch as her mother's life was drained and her skin paled. Tears fell from her watery eyes and she sobbed heavily as she saw her uncle's blade protruding from her mother's chest. With widened and haunted eyes she watched her mother's eyes cloud never to sparkle or see again. _

A small pathetic whimper escaped through her fox mouth. The man who had captured her glanced back at her. She growled menacingly, or tried to, and her hackles rose. His response was unexpected- a booming laugh echoed throughout the tent. Tessa backed into a corner of the cage and couched lower to the floor. She wanted her mother. Suddenly anger surged through her little frame and intense hatred for her uncle blossomed. A thought disturbed her- if she ever saw her uncle again she would **kill** him.

After a few more hours of being trapped in the cage and trying to formulate a plan that would work night fell. She glanced at the tent flap and saw darkness on the other side. Tessa then looked around and watched the man put wood in the fireplace. Curiously she watched him fiddle with the flames and then she saw him put things in a sack. _Is he going somewhere?_ her mind asked. Her heart leapt. Then she would get her chance to escape. A plan was already formed in her mind.

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the bridge with all their eyes trained on the blond sharpshooter. Finn glanced at Tamar who was right beside him and frowned. He didn't want to do this, but he had to. His sister seemed to notice his discomfort and snatched the letter away from him. She planned to do the job for him. He was silently thankful. 

"I know all of you are wondering why we called you all here," she stated. He smiled sheepishly. "Finn has received a letter from an unlikely person and he has some news that he wishes to express." His gaze landed on her. He wondered if she was just starting it off and did not intend to let him off the hook. She grinned at him and handed the piece of paper back.

Piper was holding Kara on one of her hips and Tyler was sitting on a chair by the table. Finn watched the boy amused. The small boy was fiddling with a contraption. Finn wondered if the boy was actually fixing it, making it, or destroying it. "What is it that you have to discuss?" Piper asked, she was slightly impatient- she had to go back to getting her children ready for bed.

"Uh, how do I put this?" he started. "As you all know, I got a letter." He held it up. "And unfortunately, it's from, uh…" He glanced at his sister. She nodded and he gulped. "Master Cyclonis."

The next few seconds were almost hysterical. Piper almost dropped Kara; Junko dropped his pile of scrap metal; Silver tripped over some of the metals; Stork grimaced and plugged his ears with his fingers; and Aerrow's expression was priceless- it was a mixture of surprise and hatred. And the only one who was completely clueless of what was going on was Tyler who stared wide-eyed at the scene before him.

"What!?" Aerrow questioned. The sky knight advanced forward and Finn put Tamar between him and the red head. "What do you mean the letter is from Master Cyclonis?" Finn could understand why he was angry, but he was still fearful of Aerrow's explosion. Aerrow had gone through lots of suffering where Master Cyclonis was concerned.

"I just found it today," he said. "Here you read it." He handed the piece of paper to Aerrow. "At first I didn't want to tell you guys about it, but Tamar convinced me." He glared at his sister with something close to contempt. After Aerrow read it he dropped it on the floor and then slumped into the couch behind him.

Piper went over to Aerrow and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What did the note say?" she asked. "Read it out loud."

Silver picked it up and began to read, "Master Cyclonis to the blond idiot of the Storm Hawks. I will waste no words. I write to you under extreme circumstances, as I never would have lowered myself so otherwise. Rin is dead by Dark Ace's hand three days prior to your reading these words…" Silver skimmed through the letter. "One order I have for you: leave Dark Ace to me. If you interfere with my revenge on him, I will kidnap those two brats of Aerrow's and kill them…" She glanced at Finn and then at Piper who had gone pale. "She is nine years old, around four feet seven inches tall, has black hair, and blue eyes… and she has her mother's abilities."

Finn watched Silver place the letter on the table. All of the Storm Hawks stayed in complete silence for a few minutes. "What does this mean?" Piper asked, she was looking at the letter herself. She had just figured out that Silver hadn't read it all.

"It means that Rin is dead and I have to find my daughter who is missing," Finn replied. He was frowning. Long ago he would have been smiling and completely goofy, but now he was more mature and this was a serious situation. "And if we do anything to Dark Ace, Tyler and Kara might be, um…" He stopped his thought.

"It also says that Master Cyclonis wants Tessa back after we find her," Tamar informed. "But we can't do that. We have to fight for her."

"We have to find her first before we think of that," Silver included. The white haired woman sat down on a wooden chair. "Where do you think she could have gone?"

"Some place close to Cyclonia," Stork muttered. Finn could tell that the merb wasn't at all too happy. Stork was still the paranoid merb he used to be but now after many years have passed he was a whole lot better. "Do you want me to set a course near to that terra?" The question was directed towards Aerrow.

"Set a course for Cyclonia," Aerrow said, he grimaced a little. Finn could tell that his friend had never truly forgotten what had happened about nine years ago. Finn watched as Aerrow and Piper went off to their room with the kids in tow. As he watched the red head and Piper walk off he could hear Aerrow, "I won't let anything happen to you or our kids."

Silver and Junko went into the engine room and began to check on the engine. The _Condor_ had become very old and constantly they had to keep an eye on the engine. Tamar went over to the charts and began to map a route towards Cyclonia with Stork. Finn smiled slightly, he loved his surrogate family. He sighed as he sat down on the couch. They were going on a mission to find his daughter. A full smile spread across his face.

* * *

Tessa grinned a foxy grin as the man slipped through the tent flap into the outside world. This was her chance. She waited a whole ten minutes before she morphed into a mouse. The transformation caused pain but she gritted her teeth. Suddenly she was a mouse. She squeaked happily and then crawled through the opening between the bars. 

Hurriedly she scurried out of the tent and she halted. She was in some of small town. She glanced around and then went into a dark alley. She held back a scream as pain washed through her body as she morphed back into herself. She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and the belt around her waist. She narrowed her bright blue eyes at the weapon attached to the belt and frowned. The weapon that murdered her mother.

She walked back into the street and her ears heard cursing and shouting. Tessa went to the tent she was held hostage in and saw the man. He was staring at the cage in shock. He whirled around. His eyes narrowed at her. She backed up. She believed he was getting the wrong idea.

"You there!" he shouted. She flinched.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Did you happen to see a fox with huge ears?" he questioned. Inwardly she was relieved that he wasn't blaming her for stealing 'his' fox.

"Uh, I think I saw a critter scurrying that way," she said, pointing in a random direction. He nodded and then ran off in the direction she pointed to. She smiled; sometimes people were so gullible.

She turned around and then ambled off in some direction through the town. The streets were almost deserted, only a few people wandered around. A couple of lamps lit the way and some of the business tents were open. She glanced around; she wondered if there was any place that was selling food. Her stomach growled an instant later. She looked down at it and smiled.

Tessa spotted a tent that sold food and walked to it. Looking at it closer she thought it looked like a bar. She skidded to a stop. Did she want to go in there? She sighed and then walked through the tent flap. A bitter scent filled the air and a heavy smell of alcohol wafted to her nose. She felt like gagging. She took a big breath and then walked forward pushing and shoving her way through the throngs of people.

She found an empty booth in the corner and sat down. She sighed. She didn't know what she was going to do. She didn't even know what terra she was on. All she knew was that this terra was sand infested. She glanced around the jam-packed bar and was slightly glad that there were no Cyclonians in this joint.

She tensed when a person walked up to her. "Want anything?" the person asked. He had a pad and a pen. Her body calmed down and the tension released.

"Do you have any sandwiches?" she questioned; she was hungry, but she wasn't quite hungry enough for a huge meal.

"We have turkey sandwiches," he responded. She noticed that he was eying her uncle's blade and she smiled awkwardly.

"Um, I would like a turkey sandwich and some water," she ordered. He nodded while he scribbled down the order and he turned to leave. She put her elbows on the table and put her head in her hands. She groaned, she felt a headache starting and the throbbing intensified. Suddenly she felt a presence and she looked up. In front of her was a sitting figure.

"You are a little young to be out by yourself, are you not?" a female voice sounded. Tessa tried to see who the person was, but the lighting was dim where the figure sat. Her brain's warning signals went off. She didn't know this person and she knew she had to be cautious.

"Who's asking?" Tessa questioned, suspicious.

The figure leaned forward the light showing off her face. She had purple hair and was in a uniform Tessa had never seen before. "Starling of the Interceptors," the woman introduced.

* * *

Cliffhanger! Wow, I really wanted to do one. Hopefully you all like this chapter. I will update as soon as I can. Please review!! 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks.

Here is the long awaited update. I am truly sorry that I haven't updated in more than a couple of months. I've been incredibly busy, and writer's block does not help a single bit. Oh, I want to thank all my reviewers for their encouraging reviews. They do help with my motivation (hint, hint).

I didn't get my regular and awesome editor to edit this, so I might have some grammar errors and stuff- be warned (I did check it myself, but that doesn't always work). Well, here is chapter 4:

* * *

Beginnings of a Journey

The nine year old cocked her head; she had to admit that she was curious but at the same time apprehensive. The woman before her was the infamous Starling of the Interceptors. She recalled the many different history lessons she had received that told the Cyclonian version of the events associated with the squadron. _Can I trust her?_ her mind wondered. She eyed the woman's appearance suspiciously and took in the twin num-chucks.

"My name is Tessa," she greeted coldly to the woman's mysterious introduction. She held out her hand in a show of manners and refrained from grimacing when the Interceptor's cool hand enclosed her small one. After the formalities were done they were silent. The awkward quiet was interrupted when the man from earlier placed her ordered sandwich and wanted beverage in front of the blue-eyed girl.

The woman waited for the man to leave before she spoke. "That's a mighty fine weapon you got there, where did you get it from?" she questioned. Tessa tensed visibly and her hand stopped midway to her sandwich. She should have known the woman would be that perceptive. Recovering she reached for the turkey sandwich and bit into it.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, mouth full with the chewed up food. She tried to keep the wariness out of her voice.

"A child should not be carrying such a tool around," Starling replied. A loud crash from the kitchen of the restaurant caused the already jumpy girl to flinch. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Tessa stared at the woman. "Why would you care? Why would anyone care?" she returned. She'd had enough; she couldn't handle all the anxiety. Without much control over her emotions she burst into tears. Automatically she drew her knees up and wrapped her thin arms around her legs. The fetal position caused her breathing to relax slightly and the danger she had felt seemed to slowly edge away.

Starling watched the girl with surprise, one minute she was cool and indifferent and the next she was sensitive and broken. Motherly instinct overrode her senses and she got up and sat next to the shaking girl. Carefully and cautiously she wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and encircled her in a hug. She could feel the wet tears soak her shirt.

The tension in the body seemed to ease and a sigh escaped the girl's lips. And then all of a sudden the girl pushed away and glared at her with the most heart-stopping look. "You are not my mother, do not do that," the girl demanded. Starling studied Tessa's eyes; they were filled with unimaginable grief and intangible fury.

Tessa glared at the woman; she could not believe what she had just thought. She would not acknowledge the fact that she had believed that this woman was her mother for a brief moment. When those warm arms had encircled her in a caring way, her mind had drifted to her mother- from the comforting hugs, to the reassuring squeezes. Shakily she reached for the glass of water and took a sip. She had to clear her mind of her mother, if she dwelled on the fact that her mother was no longer coming back she would surely never find her father. And she could not allow that to happen. She would, no matter what, fulfill her mother's last wish.

She glanced back at the startled woman. "I am sorry," she apologized. "I did not mean to be so rude."

"I understand, I did not mean to replace your mother," Starling said. To the girl's ears the Interceptor sounded sincere. "If you do not mind me asking, what happened?"

Tessa willed the unwanted tears back. "S-she was killed," she muttered. The sentence she had just spoken sent a stab to her heart, denial could not be used anymore.

A mumbled 'oh' was heard. "I am terribly sorry for your loss," the woman said squeezing the girl's shoulder comfortingly. "Do you have any other family members to take care of you?"

At first she wanted to shake her head, but then she remembered that her mother had said she had a father. "I have a father, but I don't know where he is," she hiccupped.

Starling watched the girl carefully. She felt her heart go out to the girl. She knew what it was like to lose something so precious, but she knew Tessa did not need to hear it, let alone, want to hear it. Right then and there she decided that she would help this girl find her father.

"I could help you find your father," she told her. Wide blue eyes looked at her, they were shining with hope.

"Really? You can help me find him?" Tessa inquired. Starling nodded. Tessa's heart leapt for joy at the prospect that she would have help on this journey her mother had presented for her.

"Yes, I can," the purple haired woman reassured her. "But first, do you have any clues as to where he might be?" Tessa furrowed her brow in concentration. Did she have any clues that would help them locate her father? A little light bulb went off in her head.

"The Storm Hawks," she supplied.

* * *

Aerrow leaned down on his knee and kissed the foreheads of his two little angels and wished them a night with sweet dreams. He released them of the hug he had them wrapped in and they hurriedly flopped into their beds. He smiled; then he turned around and headed out the door, leaving Piper behind to tuck the twins in. The redhead walked towards the bridge pondering over what Finn had revealed to them all. The simple fact that the evil Master Cyclonis wrote a letter to one of his squad mates was mind blowing. But the rest was obviously overwhelming- Rin was dead, Dark Ace was hunted by both the Cyclonians and the Atmos, and Finn's nine year old daughter was out there all alone.

He shuddered when he remembered the threat meant distinctly for him. He grit his teeth. He couldn't believe that someone would involve two six year olds into this old conflict between Cyclonia and the rest of the Atmos. But he had to consider the fact that Master Cyclonis was clearly insane or plainly didn't have a conscience. He shook his head. He would not allow this to get to him. He just had to do his best to make sure that he protected his family at all costs and searched for Finn's lost daughter.

He was sure Finn would do the same if one of his children were missing. He made his way onto the bridge and spotted Tamar playing cards with Silver and Junko, and good old, paranoid Stork was at the control sticks. He walked over to Stork.

"How long do you think it's going to take?" he questioned.

"At the speed we're going it'll probably take about one hour," Stork responded in his monotonous voice. His eye was twitching. "Why do I allow myself to be dragged into such things as this?"

Aerrow rolled his eyes and sauntered out of the bridge towards Finn's room. He wanted to make sure the blonde sharpshooter was doing fine. He sighed and knocked on Finn's closed door.

"Finn, it's me," he said through the door and in between his knocks. "Open up!" The door flew open just as he said that.

"Yes, Aerrow?" the blonde responded stepping to the side to allow the Sky Knight into his room. He entered and sat down on the rumpled, unmade bed. Finn quietly sat down next to him.

"I wanted to thank you for telling us," he began. "I heard from Tamar that you were reluctant at first, but I am glad you told us. I mean, now we can help you in your search."

"Yeah, but now you guys are in danger," Finn said. "I mean, c'mon, she isn't guaranteeing any of your guys' safety. And isn't it a little bit fishy that she is guaranteeing mine?"

Aerrow eyed him for a second. "Yeah, you're right," he replied. "It is a little fishy. What do you make out of it?" It was suspicious, but reasonable when dealing with a mutual interest.

"What if she is guaranteeing my life because her heir is my daughter? So, she knows I am the father?" Finn explained. "Oh, that's really bad."

"Why is that bad?" Aerrow inquired. Sometimes Finn's mind was a mystery.

"Because when she catches up with me it's going to be like a double revenge type thingy," Finn wailed. Aerrow raised his eyebrow in amusement. But to some extent it did make sense; Master Cyclonis had one messed up mind.

* * *

The Dark Ace examined the crashed shuttle. With one purpose set in mind he entered the machine and searched for his double bladed sword. He snarled in disgust at the thought of the half-breed's filthy hands on his weapon. He had used that sword for most of his life- it was like an extra limb to him. He felt lost without it. He turned around and marched out of the contraption.

He laid a hand on his newly acquired sword that he had stolen from the storage room and shuffled through the sand to his Talon switchblade elite. He seated himself on the bike and turned on the engine. Calmly he added a crystal into the machine fuel tank and zoomed off into the direction of the nearest city on the desert terra. He would find that brat and kill her if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

There you go, another chapter done. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the show nor the characters. If I did own them, why would I be writing a fan fiction about them? Food for thought.

It has been a while, a few years (more like), since I have updated this particular story and I apologize. I have experienced it where authors have left a story to rot (or put it on a long, long, long break) and I end up feeling cheated. I do not really like that feeling and I have promised myself to update this story until it is finished, which shouldn't be too long now. My thoughts are wrapping it up.

* * *

Complications

Starling blinked; nowadays that squadron was considered a legend. It would be difficult to find them; their last transmission was nearly nine years ago. If they still had the same radio frequency, it might be possible to contact them though. However, it was rumored that the Storm Hawks had been defeated, but she knew better. Yesterday, a mysterious squadron had appeared and prevented a group of Talon soldiers from terrorizing a small, unprotected farming Terra. Starling knew it was them. _But__ how __did __this __girl's__ mother__ know__ them?_ she wondered. "The Storm Hawks?" she inquired, curious to know if she had heard the girl correctly.

"Yes," Tessa replied impatiently. Then, she proceeded to ignore her and resumed eating the sandwich. Starling sighed. _It__ seems__ I__ have__ done__ something __wrong._

"It will be difficult to find them," Starling began. Tessa paused in her actions and glanced curiously at her. "The Storm Hawks have been elusive for the past nine years."

"Why?" she questioned before taking another bite out of the turkey sandwich.

"I do not know," Starling admitted. She wished she did know why, but it was their decision and she respected them for it. She would not hold it against them, for she knew they had been through a lot. When she had lost her teammates, she had gone through her own form of grieving.

"How will we find them, then?" Tessa asked.

"We'll send them a message and see if they still use their old radio frequency," she said and then sighed. "But knowing Stork, he probably changed the frequency after so many years." Starling could feel the girl tense beside her and she looked down. Tessa was trembling and her hands were clenched into fists. Starling placed her hand cautiously on her shoulder. She hoped it was a comforting gesture. "Is something wrong?"

"He's coming," Tessa whispered.

* * *

_That __little __brat_, he seethed. _She __ruined__ everything!__ When__ I __find__ her,__ and__ I_ will_, __she'll__ die.__ She__ took__ everything __from__ me!_ He gazed coldly at the grouping of tents; his glare was acidic. He would not abandon his cause until she joined her mother in death. He gritted his teeth angrily and tightened his grip on the handles of his Switchblade Elite. He acknowledged the fact that Lark would be less than pleased with his independent actions, but he believed she could be persuaded to understand his viewpoint. The noble lineage would remain untarnished, the throne would return to capable hands, and the empire would be protected by an experienced individual. He was certain that Lark would appreciate his thoughtfulness.

He started the engine and the idle Elite sputtered to life. He steered his transport toward the biggest tent, which would be the main gathering place of the locals. She would be there, for it was her only hope to find a ride off this Terra. The traders, the occasional Talon soldier, and stray Sky Knights would congregate there for trading and subsistence. The indigenous population traded with any available costumer, for they wanted as much revenue as possible. A hawk watched him carefully before veering toward the same tent and shrieked loudly- a warning call.

* * *

She slid from the woman's grasp, exited the booth, and pinpointed an escape route. She calmly walked toward the kitchen and ignored the alarmed calls from Starling. She had to leave before her crazed uncle found her and her abilities were being uncooperative with her. A sob left her throat as she entered the kitchen and ducked through the tent flap. She stopped and watched as Starling followed shortly after. Tessa frowned. She hoped that her trust in this woman was not misplaced. She'd had a weak moment, but she would no longer be helpless.

"Tessa? What's going on?" Starling asked, slightly confused by her small companion's sudden departure.

"My uncle," she responded frankly.

"Your uncle?" Starling repeated, incredulous. She must have thought that family relations should not be the cause for such a reaction. _Well,__ she__ does__ not__ know__ my __family_, Tessa thought bitterly. She had known about her mother's uneasiness with her aunt and the tension between her aunt and her barbarous uncle. Even though she was young, she was not stupid. People always underestimated children.

"Yes," she replied, "my uncle wishes to have the throne and I am in the way." She smiled sadly at Starling's confused expression and wondered briefly when the woman would make the connection. Monarchy was an extinct concept in the Atmos besides Cyclonia and people hated Cyclonia with a passion. Her mother had taught her about Cyclonia's many faults and she understood their anger. It was deserved.

"You're a Cyclonian?" the woman asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, I am," Tessa said bluntly. She was not ashamed of her people, but she was not proud of them either. She glanced toward the large community tent and began moving to the dock. She had to leave this Terra before her uncle realized that she was no longer here. She needed a head start before he was on her trail and she could not wait until Starling had made her decision on whether or not to accompany or abandon her young Cyclonian friend.

* * *

He glanced up at the supposedly intimidating scowl etched on Tamar's face and grinned cheekily. She huffed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You do realize that Aerrow is going to kill you once he finds out?" she questioned as she folded her arms in a defensive posture.

Finn sighed dramatically and rested a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to convey reassurance. She narrowed her eyes, but did not shrug off his hand, which meant that he was getting through to her. "He won't find out," he began. She frowned. "And even if he does, I will already be gone and he won't be able to stop me."

"What will _she_ do if she catches you?" Tamar asked, her tone filled with worry. Her own personal experiences with Master Cyclonis were not pleasant.

He wrapped his arms around her and waited for her tensed body to relax. She responded warmly and he could feel her body jerk with silent weeping. He closed his eyes. Tamar never showed her emotions and he was not prepared to deal with her rare emotional outburst. "I'll be fine," he whispered in her ear. She nodded weakly. He let her go and then walked slowly toward his skimmer. He climbed onto the skimmer and went through his mental checklist one more time. He had to make sure that he had everything he needed. He looked up and saw Tamar standing beside the hangar bay door's mechanism. He nodded and she smiled weakly before she unlocked the door. With an obnoxiously loud groan it began to slide open. He started up the engine and shot out of the bay.

Finn ignored the alarmed exclamation from Aerrow as he passed by the _Condor_'s bridge and smiled as Stork cocked his head in puzzlement. He shook his head and increased the speed to his skimmer. He could not think about his teammates at the moment. He had to find his daughter and he knew the perfect place to search first.

* * *

Tessa frowned thoughtfully as she studied Starling's ship, and from the dilapidated appearance, she highly doubted it could fly. Reluctantly she followed the purple haired woman onto her ship. If the Sky Knight was confident in the ability of this ship, she would be too. She sat down in the co-pilot's chair and waited patiently for the woman to finish checking the equipment. Starling grunted as she heavily sat down in her chair and she glanced at the control crystal. It was functioning normally and she revved up the engines. Tessa tensed warily as she caught a glimpse of her uncle's features out of the corner of her eye.

She gripped tightly onto her seat. "Starling..."

"Yes, dear?" the purple haired Sky Knight asked. Her main attention stayed on the ship as she steered it out of the docking bay.

"He's here," she choked out. Anger and fear battled for dominance within her once more. That man had killed her mother and definitely sought to execute her.

Starling tensed and tightened her grip on the controls. "Hold on, I'm going to increase the-" her words were caught off as the ship jerked sharply to the side and Tessa's breath caught as her uncle appeared directly in front of them. His blood red eyes glared heatedly at her as the ship continued to inch closer. A soft gasp came from the right and Tessa looked over with concern. The purple haired woman's eyes were wide and her face pale. "Your uncle, by any chance, wouldn't be the Dark Ace, would he?"

Tessa confirmed her suspicions with an almost inaudible yes.

"Oh, great," she muttered sarcastically. She sped up, turned the ship to the right, and grabbed the radio. "Storm Hawks, _I__ know__ you're __out__ there_, do you read?" The radio spat back static. "Storm Hawks, this is Starling, do you copy?"

A chirp, a hiss, and then silence for a few seconds. "Starling?" a male voice asked in surprise. Tessa watched as the purple haired woman blinked in surprise.

"Aerrow? Is that you?" she responded.

"Yes, it is," the voice said. Tessa wondered who this man was, and hoped that he would be able to help her find her father. "What's going on, Starling?"

"I picked up a little girl, and now we are being chased by the Dark Ace," Starling informed him. "Would you be able to assist us?"

"Sure," he began. "Send us your coordinates." The Sky Knight pressed a few buttons and sent him their location.

"Did she mention a little girl?" another voice asked on the other end of the radio transmission. Tessa abruptly grabbed the radio out of Starling's grasp.

"You are the Storm Hawks, right?" Tessa asked, her heat beating increasingly faster in excitement. She was closer, much closer, to finding her father.

"Yes, we are," a female voice returned.

"Did you know Rin, my mother?" she blurted out.

"Yes, we did," the woman answered again.

"Before she died, she said that my father was one of you, is that true?" she asked, her voice cracked. She hoped the answer would be yes. She wanted to meet her father and escape her aunt's expectant grasp. She did not want to inherit that crumbling empire that was stuck on following out-of-date traditions. Then a frightening thought squeezed painfully at her heart: _would__ he __even__ accept __me?_

"Yes," another woman said. Tessa furrowed her brow, this woman seemed sad. Had something happened to her father?

The ship jostled again as a blast rocked the contraption, and Starling cursed under her breath as she tried to steady the ship. "Can I speak to him?" she asked shakily.

"I'm sorry, honey, but he's not here with us," the sad woman replied. Ice settled deep within her stomach and a horribly foreboding feeling clawed its way inside.

"Where is he?" she gritted out.

"We don't know," she supplied. "He left to search for you."

_He __left __to __search __for_ me_?_ she thought. She glanced up and her eyes widened in shock as a staff hurled its way toward her. It happened so quickly that she did not have time to dodge the incoming projectile and then searing pain erupted before her world went dark. "Tessa?"

* * *

"Tessa?" she shouted as the staff sliced through the window and thudded into the girl's shoulder. Tessa promptly passed out and the radio clattered to the ground for her grip loosened. Starling swerved the ship to the left and gritted her teeth as she aimed to smash the side of her ship into the Dark Ace's switchblade elite. A satisfying crunch sounded as she hit her target, and she grinned as she heard the switchblade explode as it connected with the ground. She gasped when a body landed on top of the ship and a sword slammed into the roof of the cockpit.

She put the ship into a loop and swore when the sword did not dislodge. She pushed the ship into high gears and then slammed on the brakes. The ship groaned in protest, but she grinned triumphantly when the Dark Ace flopped over his sword and she could see his feet dangling over the window. If she couldn't shake him, she would definitely try to humiliate him.

Starling glanced over at Tessa worriedly and hoped the Storm Hawks would arrive soon. The girl needed medical attention and right now, she did not have time to do it. She cried out as the Dark Ace used another sword to smash into the window and she grimaced at the cracked glass. Silently she asked her ship for forgiveness as she intentionally set the ship on a collision course with the Terra below. The ship moaned as it collided with the sand, and the jarring impact coerced Starling into the darkness as well.

* * *

Finn hovered in place as he watched an unexpectedly large pillar of smoke spiral from a sand dune, and raised an eyebrow. What happened here? He might as well check it out, and so he directed his skimmer toward the smoking wreck. He swore and skidded to a halt when a ship descended sharply in front of him. Deftly he armed himself and aimed his crossbow at the ship adorned with Cyclonian banners.

He flinched at the unwelcome sight of Cyclonia's queen as she came into view, and she smirked evilly at his visible discomfort. "Ah, Finn," she greeted, her voice a mockery of kindness. He knew she hated him, but apparently, she decided to call a truce in order to retrieve her missing niece. "Lower your weapon and we will negotiate your inevitable surrender."

Stubbornly, he kept the crossbow where it was and he glared at the woman who had made his life extremely difficult (to put it lightly). He ignored the chill that crawled up his spine as Master Cyclonis cackled insanely, and she shook her head in, what he guessed, amusement. Lowering his weapon was not smart, and therefore, it was not an option. _When __have __you __ever __been__ smart?_ he asked himself condescendingly. _Never..._

"What do you want?" he growled; he had lost _most_ of his childish behavior a few years ago. At the moment, his deep-seated fear of this woman was keeping quiet, which might not be a good thing.

"You _know_ what I want," she simply stated.

He grimaced. "I might, but what makes you think I will cooperate with you?" he asked sardonically.

She chuckled. "I am sure that I can persuade you to do _something_ smart," she goaded. They had a long history and she knew of his recklessness.

The giant bay doors to the ship's hangar opened and several switchblade elites shot out into the sky. He gazed warily at the approaching Cyclonians and wondered if there was actually a way out of this mess. There probably wasn't. He slowly, carefully eased his skimmer backwards in order to keep those soldiers in his line of sight. Master Cyclonis sighed and gestured, silently giving her minions orders. He narrowed his eyes, tensed his body, and watched the soldiers inch closer to him with apprehension.

A nameless Cyclonian soldier rushed quickly forward and thrust his glowing red sword at him. He twisted away from the incoming blade and shot off a quick round into the soldier's stomach. The Talon soldier jerked off of his switchblade elite and fell toward the Terra below before his parachute activated. Angry howls erupted and the other soldiers converged on him. He whipped out his knife, one he kept just in case he needed to fight in close quarters, and fired a few bolts from his crossbow that connected with each intended target.

His body jerked as one of them collided into his skimmer and the jarring impact sent his crossbow plummeting to the Terra below. He cursed his luck and tightened his grip on the blade that was to play his backup weapon. He was focused solely on the remaining Talons that he never noticed Master Cyclonis' back-off signals and the bright pink crystal that emerged from a concealed pocket in her robes. A crackling charge surged through the air and Finn cried out in agony as the electrical currents slammed into his body.

He moaned and slumped forward on his ride. He struggled weakly as the Talons grabbed him and escorted him unwillingly toward the Cyclonian cruiser. He shuddered in disgust as Cyclonis grabbed his chin and lifted up his head so that his gaze could land on her face. The unpleasant, giddy smile on her features set his nerves on edge.

"You know, Finn, if you had just come willingly, I would not have had to hurt you," she scolded condescendingly. He glared at her and in response, she chuckled. She let go of his chin and he could see a flash of pink before it was concealed once more in her robes. "I have been thinking, a concept I doubt you would understand, and I have come to the conclusion that you will be accompanying us back to Cyclonia."

"What?" a croaky whisper of disbelief escaped Finn's mouth.

"This little rebellious stage of Tessa's has been caused by the death of her mother and her search for _you_," she sneered. She was not pleased by her niece's act of independence. "If you were to come back with me, she would be satisfied with the fact that she can visit you if she _behaves_."

"Coercion?" he asked.

"I am impressed that you actually know what that word means," she responded. She leaned close, her face inches from his, and he jerked his head backwards as far as it would go to get away from her insane grin. "And if she does not behave like a good little girl, I will personally see to it that she sees you suffer... horribly. How does that sound?"

"You are insane," he stated vehemently.

She cackled eerily. "Put him in restraints and then throw him in the hold," she ordered her Talons. They nodded painfully enthusiastically and began to drag him away. Still feeling the pain from the powerful jolt of electricity, Finn could not struggle as much as he would have liked. Roughly he was tossed into the hold and he grimaced as his bound wrists absorbed the brunt of the impact with the metallic ground.

"Ah, look who has joined the party," a shrill, familiar voice echoed throughout the hold. He glanced around the dimly lit place and narrowed his eyes when he saw the pink, styled hair of the crazy violin-playing sharp shooter. She stepped further into the light and smiled creepily at his sprawled form.

He swiftly stood up and leaned against the sealed door that kept him in this cell with another one of Cyclonia's insane people. "What are you doing in here, Ravess?"

"Hm, wouldn't you like to know," she drawled. She cocked her head and studied him. "What are you doing in here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Finn returned. Her smile grew larger and she raised her bound wrists to rest them against her chin.

"I think I am starting to like you," she confessed. _What__ is__ it__ with__ these__ insane__ people?_ He thought grumpily. "What will I get if I tell you why I am in here?"

_A __business__ proposition?__ In__ a __holding__ cell?__ Yep, __insane,_ he thought, reassured about his earlier assumption."Absolutely nothing," Finn informed her. Even if he wanted to know what she had done to deserve confinement from her Master, he would not give her anything. Especially since he had nothing to give.

She huffed, disappointed. "I convinced Dark Ace to plot against that freak and her disgrace of a daughter," she stated, prideful. Anger brewed inside him and he clenched his hands into fists. This woman had instigated the death of the woman he loved and the hunting of the daughter he wanted to meet. He wanted to strangle her and watch the life drift from her eyes. He shook his head to clear that thought. Cyclonis probably put him in here to goad him into getting rid of one of her many problems. She would be gleeful that he had killed someone in cold blood. He gritted his teeth. He would not satisfy her blood lust nor would he lower himself to commit a monstrous act.

She frowned at his lack of response. He laughed humorlessly. "Are you disappointed?" he asked, he could not keep his disgust out of his voice.

Ravess raised an eyebrow. "Were they important to you?" she questioned surprised. Finn must have had an expression that revealed his stand on the matter, and a smug smile spread on her features. "Ah, they were. Are you its father?"

He snarled, "she has a name!"

"Ha! You are that thing's father," she stated. A bark of pleased laughter erupted and echoed inside the room maliciously. "The Dark Ace would love this information."

"Why are you not dead yet?" he asked, curious. Master Cyclonis usually destroyed those who betrayed her when they first showed their hand.

"She wants Snipe to accomplish his tasks and he will not do so without a little prodding and the promise of his sister's well-being," she informed him bluntly.

He sighed. Things had not turned out how he had hoped they would and now he was stuck here while Tessa was out there fighting against the Dark Ace. His eyes began to water and tears started to fall unbidden down his cheeks. All he hoped was that she would be able to survive until help came. And he hoped that the help would be the Storm Hawks instead of the determined, insane ruler of Cyclonia.

* * *

She slowly opened her eyes and the blurry face of the person looming above her swam into focus. Her mind jerked awake in fright for the person above her was unfamiliar. "Where is Starling?" she croaked hoarsely. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain ripped through her. The person gently guided her back into a lying position and called for the Sky Knight she had deemed a friend.

The familiar head of purple hair came into view and she relaxed. "Hey, Tessa," she greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she replied automatically and then gasped when she thought of her uncle. "Where is he?"

"He limped off when these guys came to rescue us," Starling reassured. Tessa sighed in relief. She looked up and saw the people she owed her life to.

A man with red hair and a friendly smile stepped closer. "My name is Aerrow," he introduced himself. He then pointed to each person present and stated their names. Tessa nodded politely.

"What is my father's name?" she inquired.

The one named Tamar approached the bed and sat down on the chair beside it. "My brother's name is Finn," she began. Tessa gazed at her in wonder. She had another aunt. A warm glow filled her heart. "He had received a letter from Cyclonis and he left as soon as he could to find you because he was worried. The _Condor_ is faster than his skimmer and we got the distress call that had your exact location. We have tried to contact him with the news, but we have not got a response."

"What does that mean?" she asked. She almost dreaded the answer.

"We do not know, but we hope it is nothing serious," she responded. Her tone of voice sparked a memory.

"You were the one on the radio with the sad voice!" Tessa blurted out.

She only nodded. Starling pulled a chair over and sat. Tessa glanced over at her and frowned when she noticed the bandaged around her temple. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I just banged my head a little bit when our ship crash landed into the Terra," she said. She sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat. "I explained what happened to you to these guys and they are sorry for your loss. They knew Rin quite well and were heartbroken when she left."

Tessa turned her attention to the red haired man who seemed to be their leader. "How did you meet my mother? She never talked about her past," she wondered.

"I met her in one of the dungeons and we worked together to escape that horrible place," he replied. He got a far away look in his eyes and she could tell that he was reliving the past.

"Did my aunt really lock her up?"

"Yes," he stated solemnly.

"Why?"

"Your mother was very powerful and your aunt used her for unsavory purposes," he explained. "She might have even been scared of her."

Tessa laughed. "Yeah, probably," she sighed. "They always discussed things in front of me, probably because they underestimated me, but I could hear my aunt's threats."

Starling patted Tessa's knee to try and console her. Before anyone could speak again, the _Condor_ rocked unsteadily. Stork's frantic voice came on through the intercom, "A Cyclonian cruiser! I see Master Cyclonis!" They heard heavy breathing and then a gasped, "Finn," before another blast shook the _Condor_ and short-circuited the communication system.

* * *

I thank you for spending the time to read this new installment, and it would be appreciated if you could hit the lovely review button, and say a few words.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally another update... Sorry it took so, so, so long.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I am not seeking any profit, and seriously, if I did own the Storm Hawks, why would I be writing fanfiction?

Please enjoy.

* * *

Irritatedly, defiantly he wiped away the tears that fell unbidden down his face with his sleeve and narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired woman cackling quietly to herself. He gritted his teeth. He had to find a way out of this cell and off this ship. Unfortunately, he was confident in Ravess' ability to drive him insane, if he ended up stuck with her for who knows how long. Therefore, it was imperative that he found an escape route _quickly_.

An amused, throaty laugh escaped his throat. Aerrow would be amazed at the amount of intelligence in his thoughts and a rueful grin quirked at his lips. Apparently when faced with insane people, his brain was forced into hyper-drive to deal with the unnerving, frustrating minds of the accused persons. He sighed. This day was not turning out how he had hoped. And he was not dumb enough to believe that the day could not get any worse because it could. Especially locked in a cage with Ravess.

"Aw, what's wrong?" Ravess mocked, she sounded like she was enjoying herself way too much. _Just think of the devil,_ he thought grimly. _And she will speak._ He cocked an eyebrow at her and said nothing. About two minutes ago they'd had a conversation pertaining to his misery and the danger his daughter faced. _Yeah, what is wrong?_ he thought sarcastically. "Hey, Blondie, I am talking to you."

She practically growled. It seemed she did not like to be ignored. She sauntered, more like stalked, toward him and halted mere inches from his body. It took all of his will to remain still and not press himself against the wall to put more distance between them. Even though she freaked him out, it did not mean that he had to show it.

Ravess raised her bound hands and used two fingers to lift up his chin. He glared at her and she smiled condescendingly down at him. It was infuriating to have her tower over him. He might have grown a few inches since being a teenager, but this woman was tall.

"Now, what is wrong?" she asked silkily. It sent a shiver of disgust up his spine and he tensed. If it came to defending himself, he would be ready to jam his elbow into her stomach.

"What do you think?" he responded bitterly. She sneered at his unwillingness to play her game and shoved his head away in disgust as she backed away.

"Be as dull as you want Blondie, but remember the day when Dark Ace and I will be rulers of the Atmos," she gloated. "Then you will have to obey me." Another unpleasant chill crawled up his spine and settled unwanted in his heart. She was delusional, _and_ she was insane. And when someone was crazy, their delusions were quite dangerous.

Startled at the sudden creak the metal door made and the forceful push as it swung open, he yelped as he stumbled forward. He frowned at the floor; he was as ungraceful as always. He glanced toward the door and gulped when he noticed who was standing intimidatingly in the doorway. Master Cyclonis herself was down in the brig greeting her prisoner, which was uncharacteristic, and he wondered what was so important to have the mighty queen gracing them with her presence.

"Get up, _brother_," she snarled. She was not looking at him as she said this, but she was glaring daggers at Ravess who stood in a corner, as far away from Cyclonis as she could get. The pink-haired woman blinked in surprise at the title Cyclonis gave him and he was still reeling from the implications. He slowly struggled to his feet, and then turned to face her. "Let us go greet your daughter."

After she said this, a Talon soldier walked into the room and grabbed his arm roughly. He did not struggle and he was led away without much fuss. He would save his energy until he saw a moment where escape was even possible. Right now, it wasn't.

The walk to the bridge was silent and he wondered what she had meant by 'greet his daughter.' Had Cyclonis found her? He hoped not. If Cyclonis found her, it would mean the end to their future. They might have a future, but not one that would be worth living. He froze; the Talon soldier had to jerk him forward to keep him moving. His eyes had widened and he was staring at the scene before him. It was the _Condor_. The queen gestured and the soldiers picked up on her silent command. They rapidly fired crystal bolts at his friends' ship and he grimaced when a few bolts crashed into the _Condor_. The ship shook with the impact and he could see smoke billowing out of one of its engines.

"What are you doing?" he asked; he could not keep the panic out of his voice. She glanced at him and smirked maliciously. After the _Condor_ looked about ready to nosedive into the Wastelands, Cyclonis held up her hand to stop the bombardment and grabbed the device for the broadcasting system.

"I want Aerrow to board my ship with my niece, and then we will discuss the particulars," Cyclonis spoke and her voice was amplified. Finn tensed. She had a grudge since day one against Aerrow, and he was sure that she planned on fulfilling it when his friend and leader stepped a single foot on this ship. He grimaced; he hoped the others would be able to figure out what to do with this catastrophe. He sighed; he always found a way to mess things up.

* * *

Tessa paused in her attempt to escape unnoticed from the _Condor_. She didn't want any of the Storm Hawks to risk their lives for her, and if Aerrow boarded her aunt's ship, he would probably never see the light of day again. Hopefully, if she turned herself over to her aunt without a fight, Lark wouldn't exact revenge on Aerrow. Even though Tessa had only spent a few hours on the _Condor_, she had grown fond of each and every person on board.

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and hunched over as she willed herself to change. The pain washed through her as her body morphed into the animal she had chosen, and when the transformation was complete, she settled weakly onto four tiny paws. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times to get her cat-like eyes adjusted to the dimly lit corridor before she stumbled down the hallway.

Hurrying her pace, she reached the hangar bay minutes before Aerrow and Junko erupted into the room. She glanced at them, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. She didn't want them to pay for harboring her. She didn't want them to pay for her mistakes, and most of all, she didn't want Aerrow to die because of her.

She ignored their shouts as she scrambled onto a speeder and quickly shifted her body back to its human form. Starting the engine, she guided the speeder over to the large hangar door and slammed a palm down onto the button which controlled the massive doors. As the doors slowly opened, she looked back at Aerrow. He was simply standing there, compassion and understanding swirling in his bright green eyes.

She smiled weakly at him. "I am so sorry for everything," she said. She revved up the engine and then the speeder shot off into the air.

The cease-fire helped Tessa glide smoothly over to her aunt, but she remained ten feet away. She had to negotiate before she even took one step onto the ship in front of her. She studied her aunt's smiling face and then her eyes locked onto the man kneeling beside her. Her eyes widened. Was this man her father? He must be. The Storm Hawks had mentioned his name to be Finn and just before she had left, she had heard Stork utter that name in shock.

She watched as his eyes widened in recognition and she took in the sight of him. He was blond, had blue eyes (_my eyes_, she absentmindedly thought), and even though her mother had never really mentioned this man before, Tessa felt like she knew him. Lark's chuckling snapped her away from her thoughts and she glared heatedly at her aunt.

Cyclonis narrowed her eyes and held out her hand. "Come, child, we have much to discuss," she demanded, her tone impatient.

Tessa did not move. "I will come with you willingly if you let the Storm Hawks go unharmed," she said before looking down at the man. "And if you release my father."

Cyclonis cackled, amused. "And why would I do this?"

She smirked and gestured toward herself. "If you don't release them, I will _not_ go with you."

Cyclonis smiled, as if proud of her niece for being such the manipulator. "Very well," she said before instructing her Talons to allow the _Condor _to leave. The broadcast system spewed out a Talon's voice, the soldier's tone was monotonous as he told the Storm Hawks to leave. He probably didn't want them to be able to get away (they always caused quite a fuss whenever the Talons had orders to invade different Terras), but he had to follow his queen's commands. Tessa watched as the Storm Hawks' little ship veered off to safety after a few moments hesitation. They probably didn't want to leave them to their fates.

Swiftly, her aunt took out her staff and embedded it into her father's shoulder. Tessa sat frozen; her father's hoarse cry filling her ears as he was pinned to the floor. She clenched her teeth, she should have known better than to let her guard down when it came to her aunt, Master Cyclonis.

"Now, child," her aunt warned, "stop these silly antics and come aboard or he'll pay the price." Lark twisted the staff and Tessa heard her father's accompanying hiss of pain.

"Stop!" she pleaded, a hint of desperation in her voice. "I'll come... just... stop."

"No!" her father whispered harshly. His chest heaving in effort and she doubted that she would have heard him if she didn't have enhanced hearing. "Run."

Her aunt viciously ripped the staff out of his shoulder and he grunted. Tessa numbly guided her speeder forward, toward the end of her freedom, but she could not see a way out of this. She didn't want her father to suffer because of her, but at the same time, she wanted to respect his wishes. But she couldn't.

She landed the speeder on the bridge of the Cyclonian cruiser and slid off. She shoved an approaching Talon away and run to her father. She knelt down beside him and stared openly at the gaping wound.

Suddenly the overwhelming feelings that were swirling relentlessly within her overflowed and she wept. The tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, her shoulders shook uncontrollably, her body trembled, and sobs clawed through her throat and wailed. After the events of the past two or three days (she didn't really know, everything had happened so fast), her nine-year-old mind had had enough. She couldn't handle this. Everything was beginning to eat her alive, and she didn't know what to do. From here, collapsed on the floor with her injured father, the situation looked entirely hopeless and she doubted that her nine-year-old self would be able to get them, somewhat unharmed, out of this mess.

She startled when a gentle, warm hand settled on her shoulder, comfortingly, and she reached up to grasp a hold of that comfort and not let go. "It is going to be alright," her father whispered reassuringly. She wasn't reassured, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She was finally with her father and she wasn't about to make the situation any worse by arguing. She just nodded.

Simply impatient with the scene, her aunt barked out orders to place Tessa and her father, "the little Hawk," in confinement. She tensed at the thought of them being separated again, but relaxed when Master Cyclonis instructed their guards to put them together. She followed docilely, not wanting to be separated on a whim by her cruel aunt, and watched warily, not sure whether or not they would harm him further just to be spiteful, as the guards dragged her father toward the room they would be trapped in.

He was set lightly down on one of the queen-sized beds occupying most of the space in the luxurious room and then the guards finally exited. She listened for the following click of the lock as the door shut and walked over to the prone figure of her father. Without further ado, she grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly as she sank to her knees and settled her forehead against the mattress' edge. Her father situated his other hand on top of her head and she closed her eyes.

"You know, I don't think I have the right to say this, but I am immensely proud of you," he said, cheerfully and yet, she could detect a hint of sadness as well. She said nothing, she had nothing to say for that matter and she wondered if he would say anything else. The idea that she did, indeed, have a father was a little bit mystifying. "You're just like her... beautiful, intelligent, and full of life. I bet your powers are more powerful than hers too- my genes definitely helped." He stopped talking, and then a choked laugh escaped his lips. "At a time like this and I'm the same old arrogant Finnster that messed everything up." This had been barely audible; he probably thought that she wouldn't be able to hear him. Louder this time, "I'm sorry, you know, for everything. I wasn't there for you and I wasn't there for your mother when I should have been."

She bit her lip; the choked sobs escaping her father were forceful and pain-filled and she didn't think he would want to acknowledge their existence. She agreed with him, he should have been there when they had needed him, but the logical part of her disagreed. He could not have been there because her aunt would have prevented that. Master Cyclonis, queen of Cyclonia, would not have allowed an outsider, a Storm Hawk no less, to become part of her hierarchy. She would not have wanted another force that could have influenced Tessa to become a being unworthy of the throne- too kind, too compassionate, too family-oriented, and most of all, too uncontrollable. Tessa knew that her aunt only wanted a malleable puppet and even though her uncle had screwed things up, her aunt now saw an opportunity to better control her- the life of Finn, her father.

And she saw another opportunity as well- a life to hang over the Storm Hawks. From the stories she had heard as a toddler, eavesdropping on the conversations of drunken Talon soldiers, she learned about the infamous Storm Hawks- the squadron who was always causing Master Cyclonis trouble. She had always sat wide-eyed and excited as they told of feats so adventurous that she deemed them only to be fictional tales. And now, Lark could use her father not only as a tool to keep her in line but as a reason to keep the Storm Hawks away. It would probably work too because for only the little bit that she had spent in their company, the squadron seemed compassionate and honorable.

If they completely disappeared from this Atmos, she could not escape with her father because there would be no safe haven afterward and the Atmos would not be safe from her aunt. She no longer trusted her aunt and she no longer viewed Lark as a loving family member either. _What can I do?_

"I forgive you," she whispered back, finally voicing her feelings on the matter. She was just glad that she had finally gotten to meet him. She felt the answering squeeze.

"Thanks, I needed that," he said before he struggled to sit up. She scrambled to her feet and helped prop him up by shoving the pillows behind him. He leaned back with a sigh and winced. He turned his bright blue eyes on her and smiled weakly. "Do you know how to dress a wound?"

She eyed the shoulder injury before shaking her head. He chuckled and then he began tugging out a white undershirt before ripping a long, wide strip from it. The sound grated on her nerves and she was relieved when he finally yanked the last strand off. The undershirt was nearly almost gone when he was done. He held it out to her and she grabbed it. "I highly doubt that this is sanitary enough for wrapping up an open wound and I don't think it'll help much with stopping the blood flow," she said cynically.

"Well, all that really matters is that the heavy bleeding stops so that I can start planning the daring escape," he replied flippantly. He pointed at his temple. "Blood loss isn't good for the brain."

She couldn't help it, she laughed. The whole situation was just bizarre, and she hadn't slept in a while. Frankly, she believed she was entitled to laugh, especially when the entirety of the situation was just ridiculously ridiculous.

As carefully as she could, she bound his wound and she ignored his sharp intakes of breath when she pressed down too hard. She couldn't do this perfectly, she wasn't a trained healer. She tied the cloth together, a crude makeshift bandage, and made sure it was secure.

"Thanks," he said. She nodded and then moved away to give him some room for he had begun to swing his legs off the bed. She watched him as he surveyed the room, looking for any way out, and he smiled. She glanced over to the direction he was gazing and smirked. Her aunt, or rather, the Talon soldiers guarding them seemed to have overlooked a key element- her abilities. A small, shaft, possibly the ventilation system, was built into the ceiling. It was rather high and would probably be impossible to open if she was by herself, but she wasn't. Maybe they overlooked the fact that she would be sharing the room was someone else.

He positioned himself below it and gestured for her to climb onto his hands. She gingerly stepped on and he raised her toward the vent, grunting with pain. Remaining in her human form, she pried the vent's covering off and then she focused her attention on shifting. She shrunk herself, her bones snapping into place, and her features morphed into the form of a small sparrow. She gazed steadily at her father and chirped, she hoped, reassuringly. He smiled, gave a slight nod, and then she was off.

* * *

Stork divided his attention; he focused mainly on the piloting of his baby, the _Condor_, but he eavesdropped on the low, growled conversation between Piper and Aerrow. Piper, whose intensity had always freaked him out, was currently verbally destroying Aerrow's plan at rescuing Finn and the sharpshooter's daughter. The protective mothering instinct, the deep love she had for him, and the hysterical panic was urging her to forcefully state her opinions on every aspect of the plan.

The rest of the squadron were off doing their individual duties and Stork was envious. He couldn't escape the bridge even if he wanted to, he was needed here and honestly, he wouldn't trust anyone else with his ship. His long ears were pressed flatly against his head, a display of his discomfort, but he highly doubted that the two arguing would notice his suffering.

"Are you being stupid for the fun of it, or are you just plain idiotic?" Piper asked, her tone filled with disbelief and exasperation. Stork agreed with her.

Aerrow sighed. "You know she hasn't forgiven me for what I did to her," he said. "I can use that. I don't want to be the cause for more suffering."

"But you will be if you are caught and then executed!" she countered. "How do you think I will feel when I know you are dead? How do I explain to the kids that Daddy isn't coming back? How do you think the others will feel when you are gone? And how do you think Finn will feel when he finds out that you sacrificed yourself for him? You know she will use you before she kills you."

Stork watched from the corner of his eye as Aerrow frowned, but the Sky Knight didn't open his mouth to object, to deny his wife's logic. Then he bowed his head. "So we just give up?" he asked, sullenly.

Piper smiled and shook her head. "Of course not, my pessimist," she replied. She stepped away from him and pointed to a section of the map Stork couldn't pinpoint. "We have mapped out almost all of the Wastelands. If we follow that ship from the Wastelands, we will remain undetected."

Stork narrowed his eyes and frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. Well, he wanted to save Finn and his daughter, but he really didn't want to venture into the Wastelands. Did they not know that death, doom, and destruction would be imminent if they went in there?! Stork tightened his grip on the controls, fear and determination warring within him. Even though he didn't want to, that didn't mean he wouldn't. The sharpshooter might be a pain, but Stork couldn't live with himself if he didn't do anything at all to save him. Stork grimaced. When did he push aside self-preservation to save a squad member who put himself into such a stupid, dangerous situation? He must be losing his mind! Or was he infected with some kind of unknown disease?

Stork huddled in on himself, paranoid beyond reason. "Stork? Is something wrong?" Piper asked, her voice penetrating his gloomy thoughts. He startled, banging his leg against the controls.

"Ow!" he wailed and shot a glare in her direction. She looked concerned, but she had a smile quirking at the corner of her mouth. Pouting, he turned his attention back on the clear skies before him. "While we go on this doomed mission of pain and death, I am staying here, on the bridge and nobody is going to stop me!"

"Of course, Stork," she replied. He glanced at her, she was smiling now. "Thanks for understanding."

He harrumphed, entirely upset with this whole mess. Then he sighed dramatically and then dove down to the Wastelands just like Piper wanted. Well, they were all going to die, painful and horrible deaths.

* * *

She gently landed beside another vent, its location right outside the room, and cocked her head at the two Talon soldiers standing vigil at the door. She let out a small chirp and watched as one Talon glanced about, confused. The other frowned at his partner and joined in on the searching. She chirped again, grinning inside as a Talon looked up and saw her, a harmless sparrow stuck in the cruiser's vent. He gestured to the other goon and they inspected the vent.

"Should we just leave it?" one asked.

The other goon rolled his eyes. "If we just leave it, it'll still make noise. Do you want to hear that all day?"

_I'm glad I'm so annoying,_ she thought. She warbled, amused. One of them braced himself as the other climbed onto his shoulders and the vent's cover was pried swiftly off. She spread her wings and glided down, landing gracefully on the floor. He put the cover back on and gracelessly tumbled from the other goon's shoulders.

She closed her eyes and bowed her head. _Please forgive me_, she thought as she morphed herself into a long-dead sky saber-tooth. The Talons scrambled backwards, flailing, and she pounced, silencing them forever.

She crawled over to the door, limping slightly, and leaned against it. Exhausted she slid back into her human form and her eyes watered. The pain she could get over, but the emotional turmoil swirling in the pit of her stomach would take longer to recover from. While she had been that beast, blood lust and an overwhelming urge to just tear into flesh was all she could think about. She had just killed them. She killed someone... Was she a terrible person? Would her mother have forgiven her?

"Tessa? Is that you? Is everything fine? I heard something," her father's voice whispered through the door. She blinked away the tears. Now would her father forgive her?

"Yes, it's me," she whispered back. She grabbed the doorknob and used it as leverage as she pulled herself up. She stared at the lock for a minute before she realized that she would have to go over to the Talons to search for the key. She gulped, forcing down the urged to throw-up. She didn't want to look at them again. "I'll be right back. I have to find the key."

"Good, that's good. Take your time," he responded. She gazed at the door for another moment. He sounded normal now, but would he be able to look at her when he found out what she had done? She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Somewhat calmed down she turned around and took in the carnage. Blood was everywhere, limbs looked half eaten and severed, and one Talon stared lifelessly at her, his last emotion of terror forever locked in his eyes. She held a hand to her mouth and gagged. She had eaten... She dropped to her knees and puked.

After emptying her stomach of its contents, she weakly got to her feet and ignoring the nausea, she reached over the Talon's dead body and grabbed his set of keys. She scrambled quickly away and knocked into the wall. Breathing heavily she examined the keys to see if they would have numbers on them. The room they had been locked in was 356, and she needed to find the corresponding key.

She smiled when she found the right one and carefully limped her way over to the door. She fit the key into the lock and turned. The lock released with a click and the door swung open. Her father cautiously looked about and froze.

The expression on Finn's face reminded her of the carnage and wiped the smile off her face. She waited warily as her father soaked in their surroundings. She couldn't take the silence anymore. "I'm sorry. I turned into a sky saber-tooth and I guess the inner beast in me took over. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry," she whispered brokenly.

Tessa closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the accusation in his eyes. She startled when she felt arms wrap tightly around her and she pressed herself fully into that comforting embrace. "I know you didn't mean to, and I'm sorry too. I wasn't there to protect you from experiencing that."

She buried her face further into his chest. He was warmth and strength and love and everything she had been missing since her mother died. "Is your shoulder doing better?" she asked quietly.

"Not really, but nothing I can't handle," he reassured. And the same as last time, she wasn't really reassured. She slowly disentangled herself from him and cocked her head. She could hear something. Something... as in... footsteps.

"People are coming," she whispered. Her father grasped her hand and they were sidestepping the two bodies and then they were jogging down the hallway. They slowed at a corner and looked both ways- nobody there. Turning down the deserted hallway, they continued exploring/escaping the Cyclonian cruiser. It became more of escaping than anything else when the alarms started blaring.

* * *

Alarms blared. She looked up, a smirk on her lips. Now it was time. She deftly slithered out of her bindings and stuck out her tongue. A little silver key lay innocently on her tongue and she gently took it. She sauntered toward the door and placed the key inside. A simple turn, a click, and then the door slid open. She grinned nastily. Now it was time to emerge and take what was hers. Soon she would rule with the Dark Ace upon the throne of the greatest empire. All that stood in her way was a brat and that cute, blond Storm Hawk. She walked purposefully to the hangar bay.

* * *

The Dark Ace cursed his luck as he eyed the vessel which was commanded by his sister, the current but soon dead leader of the Cyclonians, and wondered how he would get inside undetected and snatch that brat so he could strangle her himself. Was Ravess on this cruiser? If she was, then he would be able to use her. For some unfathomable reason she thought she would become the queen after he took over Cyclonia. She was wrong. Ravess was a dangerous seductress and she would need to be taken care of shortly after he obtained his goal.

_Wait,_ he thought. _Maybe my little niece will be a useful pet. What could I use as a leash to get her to obey me? _He glared at the cruiser. This whole disaster wouldn't have happened if Ravess hadn't come whining to him in the first place. His dear dead sister wouldn't have overheard them and caused such a problem. Now he had to hunt down that freak and keep away from his murderous, mental sister.

He sighed. This was a whole lot harder than he wanted it to be. He was good at betrayal and schemes, but apparently, this plan had been full of holes or something. He narrowed his eyes, how was he going to get in there? The hangar bay, obviously.

* * *

She leaned against the wall, panting and gripping her leg in pain. Her father stood watch, eyes glancing back and forth down the halls. She bent over and pulled up her pant leg. She hissed as she watched blood trickle from a slash in her leg. One of the Talon soldiers must have grazed her saber-tooth leg while she was biting them to death. She shuddered. Her father knelt down and wrapped a piece of his torn undershirt around her wound.

"That's a nasty gash," he tutted. He patted her knee. "Are you sure it's this way?"

Tessa nodded. "I found a map a few hallways back," she replied. "If we continue heading this way, we'll be at the hangar bay in five minutes."

He got back up and looked down at her. "Can you phase when you're hurt like that?" Finn questioned. "It might be a good idea for me to carry you in a pocket."

She giggled. "I could, but it'll hurt a little more than usual. But I can handle it."

He grimaced. "If you think you can, than please do," he said. She nodded and concentrated. Her body morphed slowly, slightly more painfully than usual, and in her place was a small white, regal ferret. She eyed her father's hand suspiciously as he scooped her up and put her in his uniform pocket. She went in head first and moved around until her head popped out. She nestled into the warmth and enjoyed the ride.

Her father jogged down the hall, she could hear his heartbeat gradually getting faster, and she kept her furry little ears alert for any enemies. Unfortunately, the continuous blaring of the alarms wasn't being friendly to her oversensitive ears. She hunkered down further into her father's pocket and flattened her ears. He seemed to have picked up on her unease because he looked down with concern. Doing all a little ferret could do to comfort her father, she smiled a ferret-like smile and bobbed her head up and down. She figured he understood her because he grinned and continued to proceed cautiously down the hall. It shouldn't be long now before they reached the hangar bay.

* * *

Aerrow peered grimly at the cruiser they were trailing and clenched his fists. Ever since finding that crystal, his life had never really been the same. It had been a burdensome secret and now it was a dangerous weapon in the hands of their greatest enemy. He knew she hadn't tested it out yet on any Terra but he was fairly certain she was waiting to test it out on him. Sometimes he wished he had never become a Sky Knight, but then again, his team had pulled off some amazing schemes to destroy Master Cyclonis' plans. And he had his amazing wife to thank for that. He remembered when they didn't take her plans very seriously. Looking back, he definitely knows they should have.

He jerked, startled, when a hand grazed his arm. He glanced at the newcomer and smiled. Piper smiled sadly back. "Do you think Finn's alright?" she asked as she leaned against him. He wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders.

"He's alright," Aerrow replied. He knew in his gut that that woman had kept Finn alive and somewhat unharmed. As a member of the Storm Hawks he would be a great way to keep them in line, and as Tessa's father, he would be a very important way to control her. Master Cyclonis was always the opportunist.

"How do you know that for certain?" she countered, her voice quivered. He sighed and hugged her closer. Even though Piper was a strong, brave woman she still cared deeply for her team. And he loved that about her.

"It's Master Cyclonis we're talking about," he said. "She'll keep him alive as a wall between us and saving the Atmos."

Piper sighed. "I bet Finn is thrilled again to be the center of attention," she accused, harshly. "He probably doesn't even understand the exact amount of danger he's in."

He looked down at his wife, her eyes were watering. She didn't quite believe the harsh words she had used against Finn. "You know Finn has grown up a lot since she left," he returned. "He was crushed. He wanted to stay with her forever. After so many years of waiting he learns that she was slaughtered by the Dark Ace- from a handwritten note by Master Cyclonis herself. That must have been difficult to cope with. And then he finds out that he has a daughter, one who is on the run and alone and being hunted down like a dog by her crazed uncle."

She remained silent, contemplating his words. Aerrow grabbed both of her shoulders and turned her to fully face him. He gazed into her intelligent eyes and said, "Piper, wouldn't you risk everything to save our babies?"

Closing her eyes, she nodded. Though after a beat, she scolded the absent Finn, "But I would have asked our team for help!"

He chuckled. "Well, Piper, we all know that Finn is still going through the process of growing up," he said. "I don't even know if he will ever fully reach adulthood, but we all know that he loves us and will try his hardest to protect us. That is what he is doing, right now."

She smiled, one of her more happier ones. "Yeah, he is forever our loveable teenage son," she replied. She placed a hand over Aerrow's and turned to face the window. "I just hope we get there soon enough."

Catching a glimpse of metal not belonging to the cruiser they were following, Aerrow gently pushed Piper to the side, stepped forward, and narrowed his eyes. They widened when he recognized the man on the switchblade elite. He hurried went over to the communications system and called for the bridge. He knew Stork would answer, the paranoid creature never let anyone else fly his _Condor_.

"Yes, Aerrow?" Stork answered promptly, the amount of time he used to reply must have been a new Atmos record.

"Do you see that Talon switchblade elite circling low toward the hangar bay?" Aerrow inquired. He hoped he was just seeing things. Stork would check with the ship's periscope.

"Yes, I do," Stork replied. There was a short moment before a shriek crackled through the comm. Aerrow clenched his unoccupied hand into a tight fist. "Uh, um, uh, Aerrow? This... this is really bad. Guess whose switchblade elite that is?"

"The Dark Ace's," Aerrow growled. Piper gasped from beside him.

"I told you! I told you all! There would be death and destruction and doom!" Stork screeched. "Why wouldn't any of you believe me?! Doom, I tell you!"

Aerrow sighed. "Yes, Stork, sorry, but we still have to go in there," he reminded the hysterical pilot. He ignored the further rantings of their insane pilot and looked to his wife. He held out his hand and she grasped it like a lifeline. "I want you to stay here with Kara and Tyler and protect the _Condor_ with Stork and Starling-" she nodded, not interrupting like he thought she would have- "Junko, Silver, Tamar, and I will be boarding that cruiser. Now I know it is going to be dangerous and I know Master Cyclonis has it personally in for me, but this has to be done. The arrival of the Dark Ace destroys the idea you so carefully planned."

Piper smiled and wrapped her arms around his middle, pulling him into a squeezing hug. "I know you have to do this," she whispers into Aerrow's shoulder. "Just bring him and Tessa back alive, all right?"

He nodded solemnly. "I promise," he swore.

She shook her head minutely. "Don't promise something that you might not be able to keep," she responded, her voice breaking. "I love you. I want you to come back to me."

"I will," he reassured. He kissed the top of her head before letting go and heading toward the _Condor's_ hangar bay.

* * *

She grinned evilly. They were all so stupid. Once they were all there, she would spring her trap and she would get everything she wanted. And a Master Cyclonis always got what she wanted.

* * *

Thanks for reading, and please review.


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